Overview

• Police in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, arrested a tattoo shop owner and his assistant for creating a tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman's thigh, considered an inappropriate placement by devotees.
• The tattoo became widely known after the shop owner shared a video of the process on social media, prompting outrage from Jagannath devotees and legal complaints.
• The foreign woman, identified as an Italian national working for an NGO, and the tattoo shop owner issued public apologies, expressing regret for the incident.
• The woman explained she requested the tattoo on her thigh due to workplace restrictions on visible tattoos and assured she would remove or cover it once the area heals.
• Legal charges were filed under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for actions allegedly intended to outrage religious feelings, though no action was taken against the foreign national.